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Archer (Fate/apocalyptica) - Houyi/Jiang Shi
Archer (アーチャー, Āchā), is the Archer-class Pseudo-Servant (疑似サーヴァント, ?) in the Seventh Grail War. Archer is not a traditional servant summoned by the Great Grail to partake in the horrendous war. Instead, he is a human whose body became the vessel for the heroic spirit to inhibit. Rather than a vessel created by the grail, unknowingly using his own body as a vessel transformed Jiang Shi into a state of existence known only as a Pseudo-Servant. As mankinds collective consciousness, Alaya foresaw that another Master-Servant combination would only progress the Holy Grail War. Resulting in the hastening of humanities end. So instead, Alaya chose a human whose body possessed incredible magical circuits for the servant's vessel since such a process was often deadly. This resulted in a creature that was neither individual beings. But rather, the magi became a new individual that was the combination of Jiang Shi and the emanation of Houyi. A process that occurred due to interferences made by the world while Jiang Shi initially performed the ritual. Becoming this new being caused Archer to develop an artificial dual personality. Jiang Shi transformed into one being with two separate mental representations of the memories, feelings and perspectives held by both individuals. These representations, often called Jiang Shi and Houyi, behave like dual personalities as they represent the accumulative existence of both beings. He is neither Houyi nor Jiang Shi. Instead, Archer is an entirely new Magi who possesses the combination Jiang Shi's original soul and memories and the emanation of the Archer servant known as Houyi. This unique mixture created a new individual with both servant andnecromantic abilities as well as their individual knowledge now amalgamated. However, both stubborn personalites remain at war within. Such an incident spawned from a series of perceivably unrelated events, ultimately orchestrated by the counter force, was meant to create a beast of Alaya that would prevent humanities destruction during the worldwide calamity created by Angra Mainyu. Profile Identity Archer is a unique existence created by both forces of the world as a method of protecting itself from the calamities created by each other. It began with Houyi, an unrivaled Divine Spirit who sacrificed his immortality to protect humanities existence from the horrid sun crows. From there on he continued slaying beast to ensure that humans lived happily. However, Houyi was betrayed by his student after becoming a tyrant, which occurred due to losing his wife as she ascended to the moon. When Houyi, who hated both mankind and the divines for continuously stealing his immortality, laid seconds away from death he called for the world. Unfortunately Gaia, the collective will of the earth's survival, appeared and struck a deal. It'd freeze him seconds before his death and allow him the chance to traverse the time stream. All in hopes of gaining a new chance of obtaining his immortality. Should he do so, Houyi has to enact his vengeance against mankind. Whenever and wherever a wish granting device, such as the holy grail, or a chance at divinity appeared, Houyi shall appear and attempt to regain it. However, Alaya, who sensed such a powerful disturbance, chose a human whose background in magecraft spanned across familiar generations. He also possessed a tremendous amount of magic circuits which allowed him to become a tool of the counter force. This prodigious magi also held a special heart that treasured both life and death. While he enjoyed Necromantic studies and experimentations, the Magi also held life at an equal status.Refraining from killing without a purpose, the Magi only performed his art upon those who were already dead. Either way, Alaya used subtle coincidences to drive Jiang Shi to his families old workshop where he learned of the Holy Grail War from his father's books. Jiang Shi, wanting to destroy such an object due to horrid visions shown from his clairvoyance, decided to perform the ritual and accept his role as a master. Little did he know, the bow sealed inside his body served as a tie to Houyi; Who jumped forward in time at the chance of receiving said wish. Alaya knew that granting such a powerful servant freedom, especially with his potent indepedent action, would result in Gaia gaining the upper hand. And so, the collective unconsciousness of mankind ruinded Jiang Shi's ritual, causing the magi to become Houyi's vessel. Ultimately fusing the two individuals into one new being while the counter force performed a miracle that night which allowed Jiang Shi to survive such a process. It was perhaps Alaya's greatest chance at stopping the powerful Beast of Gaia known as Houyi. This new being, known only now as Archer, originally had one personality. However, the collective memories of both Houyi and Jiang Shi created mental representations of both individuals. Ultimatly giving Archer a dual personality. Neither Jiang Shi nor Houyi exist, it is only their knowledge, memories and views behaving like water and oil being poured into a cup. Yet, there is hope that Jiang Shi's pure heart and positive alignment can heal Houyi's memories. Jiang Shi (講師,Kōshi Written as; 讲师 ) was originally born in Chengdu, China. He has long since forgotten his originally name and shows a rather disinterest in remembering. His parents were the previous generation of the Anqi lineage. An ancient family who chose to remain hidden in fear of other families and the Mage's Association meddling in their personal plans. Their affinity revolved around the study and progression of Necromancy and have passed on generations of knowledge. Said to be the strongest bloodline of necromancers, Jiang Shi's family have held a place near every human catastrophe in history. They also utilized particular breeding methods and selective pairing to artificially create powerful magus with a strong connection to death. Whereas most Magus are known for gathering secrets and runes, Jiang Shi's family were prominent archeologist who searched the globe in efforts of discovering once lost artifacts which would serve as catalyst to unholy power. They dreamed of binding the spirits and residual memories found in these special items to corpses; Creating artificial servants who would allow them to rise above all else. Their most recent discovery, an old bow, was believed to be the one weapon that would actualize their dreams. Unfortunately, word leaked of their horrific efforts, inhumane experimentations and recent discovery. Leading to the Church actively tracking down their workshop. Meanwhile Jiang Shi's parents attempted to train their son in the art of Necromancy. Although prodigious, Jiang Shi cared little for magic. Instead, he preferred actual weaponry as it taught a requirement of peace of mind. He even displayed a rather impressive love and skill for fencing at a young age. However, Jiang Shi excelled at learning necromantic spells and indulged himself in the dark arts. He favored using spells that manipulated bones and corpses in battle. During his usual training exorcises, Jiang Shi's father interrupted the young magi with a summons. Jiang Shi's father had recieved visions of their demise at the hand's of the church and knew they were on borrowed time. Rather than waste their thaumaturgical capability, he decided it was time to pass on their families magic crest. And so he performed the ritual which took the form of an obsidian dragon imprinted upon Jiang Shi's arm. But he also placed his most trusted artifact within Jiang Shi; The ancient bow they recently stumbled upon. The executioner's arrived while Jiang Shi, 15, was at school. They barged into his parents workshop at destroyed everything after claiming their lives. The Church also seized the artifacts both parents worked so hard to gather. However, they noticed that one went missing. The one which had been stolen from an excavation in China. That same day, Jiang Shi experienced unusual public transportation traffic. It took him an extra two hours to arrive home, ultimately sparing his life and the findings of his family. Although distraught, Jiang Shi managed to call the police and report what he discovered. Unfortunately, his father had different plans. Before their death, Jiang Shi's parents created a barrier which caused those unrelated to them to see an empty house. After the police left, Jiang Shi stumbled upon a note detailing a specific set of orders. First, Jiang Shi was instructed to burn their house down. All of their familiar research had been imprinted upon his left arm as a magic crest. And so he swore to continue their goals of finding the truth of immortality. Second, Jiang Shi was instructed to his inheritance and fly to southern China where his family owned property. He was also told to bring the key that his father kept sacred. Although he lacked any idea where the key was supposed to go, Jiang Shi took it with him to Yunnan. They owned a small manor there which they used as a vacation home. Jiang Shi began to understand why his father taught him three different Chinese dialects as a child. Jiang Shi arrived safely and began to live among the citizens peacefully. He found happiness from escaping the city life and constant pursuit that Magi's were forced to endure. However, Jiang Shi continued practicing necromancy in private. Living in such a large area allowed Jiang Shi to exist undisturbed for three years. He occasionally visited other cities, such as Shanghai and Nanjing, for freelance work while acquiring certain treasures. Eventually Jiang Shi, who mainly lived in his father's old studies, stumbled upon a locked chest. An idea struck him at that very moment. He tried the key his father left and it instantly unlocked. There, rested hundreds of books about an object called the holy grail. Taken from a surviving magus of the previous war, the notes spoke of a war that would grant a wish to it's survivor. It spoke of how to invoke the summoning process and the estimated next appearance..... Appearance Personality Archer is a newly created individual spawned from utilizing a human body as a vessel for a servent. Doing so makes Archer neither Jiang Shi or the emanation of Houyi, but a combination of both. However, their distinct stubborn personalities caused this newly created existence to suffer from Dual Personalities. Yet it has made Archer a rather entertaining servant to observe. As previously mentioned, neither Jiang Shi nor Houyi exist. Instead, they are represented by two separate personalities which exhibit totally different views based on their personal memories which they share. The human memories of Jiang Shi and the memories taken from the past, where Houyi is frozen in time just seconds from death, are transformed into mental apparitions that constantly bicker and attempting to perform their choice of action. These two opposites are represented by such thoughts and perspectives. And such, they are prone to arguing in situations where time is of the essence. These arguments are had even as they move throughout the day normally. However, Houyi, who wants to use the grail to regain divinity, and Jiangshi, whose goal is to ultimately destroy the grail, decided to work together until they reach such item. Then they shall battle one another mentally. Although they can hold conversations mentally, they are known to use the main body as a method of speaking. Causing Archer to appear as a mentally disabled person who will hold an entire conversation with himself in public. Thus making arguments all the more entertaining to observers. However, despite their petty differences, both mental representation possess similar views towards life and mortality. And together, they wish to achieve the same end goal; Immortality. Eventually, the two sides that represent Archer began to correspond to one another with a deeper understanding. Leading to a stronger bond between both memories. Transforming Archer into a force truly feared by others. Surprisingly, both personalities are aware that they are neither Jiang Shi nor the emanation of Houyi. And such, their cooperation does not suffer from arguing about physical possession. It is usually the disagreement between personal views which direct their choice of actions that hinder their formation. Whereas Jiang Shi prefers to observe and battle without casualties, Houyi's anger often makes decisions where the surroundings are in danger. However, when both personalities agree, this newly created individual becomes a truly feared force. Archer's dual personality serves as the ultimate form of trust. Unlike other Master and Servants, who often harbor ulterior motives or dishonest thoughts, Jiang Shi's consciousness and Houyi's consciousness are actually one. And such, any thought created from an individual representation is shared between the two. It is often displayed in a comedic fashion with Houyi making a threat and Jiang Shi reminded the spirit that he knows his thoughts. However, both of their older memories have taken on a dormant state with specific visions appearing in dreamlike manners. However, it is easier for Archer to recognize people, events and memories possessed by Jiang Shi. Houyi is the betrayed god who lost his divinity, wife, and immortality. Such tragedies have imprinted the emanation's memories within Archer, creating a persona without feelings. A representation of selfish desires whose only wish is to erase his existence.....It is stated that Houyi contains enough anger to have become a Berserker if not for Jiang Shi's fascination with Archery. Houyi initially regarded his existence as an ingrediant in the creation of Archer as a twisted joke brought upon by the heavens. Houyi originally lost his divinity due to Di Jun believing that if Houyi cared so much for the mortals, he could live as one. And although Houyi cared little for such treatment, humanity progressively caused Houyi to suffer greatly. First, theives forced the one he loved dearly, , to drink their elixir of immortality; Although doing so stopped it from reaching their possession, Chang'e ascended to the moon as a result. Failing to reunite with her husband thereafter. This sadness at his own mortality caused Houyi to become bitter towards humanity. Finally, Houyi's trusted student, , killed the aging divine in a fit of envy and rage alongside other humans. Now Houyi, bounded to a magi, is brought back as a tool of protecting the very creatures who betrayed him. Houyi's anger is displayed prominently during conversations with Jiang Shi's mental representation. He constantly berates the Magi's choice of action with derogatory terms. Nothing Jiang Shi does is correct in Houyi's mentality. And, although technically a partial human, Houyi transfers this rage and aggression towards those externally. Houyi's decisions often involve greater casualties and civilian involvement. He holds no qualms about killing witnesses. Whenever Jiang Shi displays a problem towards Houyi's wreckless behavior, he shows a slight confusion towards the necromancer. Believing it foolish for one who practices the darkest art to care if a human is killed. Yi also displays great rage towards the second telling of the Immortality Elixir event which claims that Yi had become a conceited, tyrannical ruler. And as a result, Chang'e stole the elixir as a way of ensuring the end of his horrid reign. Although both stories hold truth, Houyi claims that he truly loved Chang'e and the people he protected. Either way, the betrayal he suffered completely darkened Yi's heart. Gradually, Jiang Shi shows Houyi the truth of his efforts and how greatly he was appreciated. Beginning with how Yi is viewed in modern times, Shi shows Yi that the name Houyi is always followed with Great Hero. Also, the necromancer explains the principles around the Anqi families necromantic art.....Throughout their time together and experiencing Jiang Shi's memories, Houyi's burning flames of hatred slowely smother. Whereas Houyi's decision benefited himself entirily, they soon start to consider the current state of man. Roles Fate/apocalyptica Abilities Archer is Pseudo-Servant, the product of a human whose body serves as a servant's vessel, under the Archer qualification. It is impossible to call Archer an actual proper servant. He is ultimately a Counter Guardian brought into existence by Alaya as a method of exterminating the immediate threat known as the Holy Grail. Archer's existence is through the process of utilizing one's body as a vessel for servants which resulted in a being who is not classified as either individuals; But rather the combination of both into an entirely new existence. And such, this Pseudo-Servant possesses the abilities, memories and knowledge of the amalgamated individuals. However, the separate memories of both individuals were strong enough to split Archer's single personality in half; Ultimately resulting in the development of a dual personality. Ruler described the situation as Archer's physical body being a cup. Pouring water into said container represents Jiang Shi's soul, which consist of his emotions, knowledge and power. Then adding oil symbolizes the emanation of Houyi, who possesses a copy of both the essence and power of the actual Heroic Spirit. Although the result is still liquid in a one container, the water and oil shall never mix. Instead, both individual liquids will retain their own existence within said cup. This scenario explains perfectly the mental phantoms trapped within Archer's brain. Although often thought as actual souls, Archer has only one soul but two personalities that are complete opposites of one another. Thus creating mental apparitions within Archer's psyche that are only representations of the accumulative personalities and memories of Jiang Shi and Houyi. This dual personality has served as the counter force's failsafe for Archer. Every decision faced by Archer is carefully considered from the perspective of a human and divine. Allowing the Beast of Alaya to perform his duty without corruption. In truth, the arguments displayed by Archer, who believes it two different souls, are really Archer arguing with himself. Archer also qualifies as a Caster and Berserker equally. Jiang Shi's prodigious talent allows Archer to combat against Caster class servants without fret. His memories and knowledge was even proven dangerous against those who also practice magecraft. However, Houyi's spirit gained infamy for his unrivaled yet uncontrollably rage. This rage emerged when the Ten Suns mocked his efforts at disciplining them, causing the hero to lose his divinity. Combat Archer is a servant who actively switches between the two memories. His wide variety of attacks finds it's source from the fact that he is a combination of an ancient warrior spirit and a human who possesses the magical aptitude of a future Caster who is also skilled with Rapier style swordplay. And such, he actively switches between the two different classess during battle. When Jiang Shi's influence dominates Archer, he utilizes magecraft as a primary method of battle and defense. Jiang Shi's influence rarely engages the enemy physically, preferring to send waves of undead. Which he uses as an opportunity to deduce his opponents strength and weaknesses before developing tactics. And during situations where evasion is impossible, Jiang Shi demonstrates an impressive usage of western swordsmanship. Although Jiang Shi's reluctance to physically engage their opponents bothers Houyi, he eventually grew to appreciate it as it allowed Houyi's influence to perform more efficiently. Houyi often states that allowing Jiang Shi's influence to remain dominate is best when against servants of the Caster and Assassin class. While the experience possessed by Houyi's influence allows Archer to stand head to head against the remaining classes. However, Jiang Shi's influence has shown an understanding of physical combat and survived against such opponents numerous occasions. Archer is perhaps one of few servants capable of easily soaring the heavens by forcing the wind to obey his command. Traveling Wind God allows Archer to dominate wind itself and force it to perform a number of feats. It's first objective involves a level of flight that surpasses that of birds and even planes. One can soar across an entire land in under minutes without worry of harm, levitate, and utterly defy gravity freely. Those close to Archer note that he constantly floats when Houyi's influence is dominate, even hovering while asleep. An action that is opposite to when Jiang Shi holds a greater command over their body; Which is when Archer actually walk or run. However, Jiang Shi has utilizes the heroes noble phantasm on various occassions. It's true limit simply revolves around the amount of wind present. Archer can also use it for defensive and offensive purposes by creating extreme gales around his person. Although undirected, Archer's gales are capable of deflecting attacks, destroying his surroundings and overpowering enemies and those within his vincinity. Archer's servant physical attributes allows him to soar at speeds that rival, and at times, surpasses actual aircrafts. Houyi is a hero known for traveling throughout China and slaying humanities foes, including phantasmal beast as powerful as Dragons. Causing Houyi to possess an increase of damage towards creatures thought threatening to humanity. Archer's existence as a Counter Guardian makes it nearly impossible to classify his Noble Phantasm as such. Archer's devestating technique, Jīnwū, is not an actual item he is affiliated with. There are various reasons behind Houyi's inability of gaining a noble phantasm. First and foremost, such is impossible due to no such item existing. Houyi is renowned as an archer who killed 9 of the ten suns, each children of , with pure technique. His lack of an actual Noble Phantasm is also due to Houyi's purpose of divinity and the fame he earned during his time as a mortal. Houyi's legend tells not of an actual item tied to his infamy but rather multiple events where he demonstrated unrivaled skill against demons, monsters and fellow divines. The God of Archery, one with burning anger, was also unrivaled. Ultimately, had Di Jun refrained from banishing Houyi, Houyi would possess an A+ rank Divinity. Also, when Houyi was betrayed by Feng Meng, he wished upon the World for a chance to obtain immortality and separate from humanity. Ultimately creating a situation where Houyi was instead transformed into a Counter Guardian cursed to serve as exterminator of sorts. The unique contract formed between the former God and Alaya made it impossible to properly classify Houyi as a servant and thus removed his ability to propely utilize a Noble Phantasm. However, Archer gains access to a technique which resembles that of True Magic. Titled as Jīnwū, it is simply a technique that contains the power of an Anti-World Noble Phantasm. Unfortunately, Houyi's fusion with an inexperience Magi caused it's power output to decrease two ranks. However, it still possesses the force of a solar flare that disintegrates all in it's path. Jiang Shi describes it as a combination of Houyi's rage stored into a single shot and his desire to protect humanity from destruction. However, since his betrayal caused Houyi to lose such a drive, it's damage has suffered greatly. Although his individual memories are those of an archery master and skillful swordsman, Archer's fighting style is often compared to switching between magecraft and weaponry. Depending on whose personality is dominant at the time and the situation present, Archer will incorporate aspects from both memories. However, when Houyi and Jiang Shi are in tandem with one another, they are known for utilizing one another's abilities excellently. Ultimately, Archer still classifies as a servant and thus possesses the physical capabilities of such spirits. However, Archer's lack of physical battle makes a greater use of unrivaled speed and agility. Although his strength is impressive, Archer prefers to outmaneuver his enemies. He As a Chinese divine heralded as a great hero, Archer gains an extreme boost in physical abilties while in China. Clairvoyance Both Jiang Shi and the Heroic Spirit of Houyi possess the attribute of Clairvoyance. Houyi gained it through his status as a servant while Jiang Shi's clairvoyancy stems from an innate ESP skill. Although Archer holds the capability of utilizing both, their functions are entirily different. Either way, Archer's usage of Clairvoyance has allowed him to survive situations where the enemy holds the advantage. Jiang Shi was born with the innate ability to perceive beyond what is physically possible....When combined with his necromantic prowess, Jiang Shi could reanimate corpses from an incredible distance. Allowing him to request support when in dangerous situations. Eye of the Mind (True) Archer, although a knight classification, adopted Jiang Shi's method of battle which consist of extreme maneuverability and avoidance. The necessity for long distance altercation causes Archer to constantly analyze situations in an attempt to discover a method of escape. Whenever Archer finds himself in a newly acquired situation, Archer creates over forty different escape routes. It stems from the Eye of the Mind (True) skill that he possesses. It is the power of danger-avoidance that utilizes one's intelligence and previous experiences as a foundation for nearly flawless anticipation. Allowing Archer to predict an opponent’s action and alter the outcome. The skill is important to Archer against enemies who overwhelm him in physical prowess. Doing so grants Archer a chance to avoid their incredible strikes. Although they are potentially able to destroy him in a matter of minutes, the Eye of the Mind (True) creates various paths for Archer to follow. Their actions appear tied to a predetermined outcome. Allowing him to formulate counterattacks that change their destined result by thinking farther ahead. This skill grants Archer the capability to prolong battles by predicting their movements. Put simply, Archer displays a tranquil mindset while analyzing the situations he find himself in. Doing so combines the information gathered from the current and past situations with his enemy's prowesses. Afterwards, Archer calls upon his newly acquired experience to predict the most probably scenario. The enemies possible reactions appear before Archer. Which is when he carefully examines of all possible outcomes in the particular situation. The accumulated knowledge increases the overall probability of surviving. Independant Action As a Pseudo-Servant, Archer's magical upkeep and anchoring situation is quite different. First, Archer's EX level in Independent Action allows him to ultimately exist indefinitely without a master. While an A+ rank in Independent Action allows a servant to remain in this world indefinitely even without a Master, an EX ranking is the equivalent of actualizing a servant's existence. The holy grail's inability to summon an actual heroic spirit and Houyi's unique circumstance transforms Archer into an actual being rather than a simple phantom of Houyi. As previously stated, Archer is the fusion of Jiang Shi, who serves as the vessel as well as the anchor, and the emenation of Houyi seconds before death. Put simply, Archer's existence as a servant rivals that of an actual human due to his independent action and Houyi classifying as technically living. Since summoning Houyi is only calling him forth from seconds before death, one cannot classify Archer as a divine and such he lacks the true extent of his power. Whereas he could easily defeat Huangdi, when the divine was summoned as Berserker, Houyi's representation noted an increased difficulty. Unfortunately, Archer lacks the ability to enter spirit form due to him still technically living; Ultimately stripping him of his classification of a true heroic spirit. However, Archer's upkeep is handled as differently as his existence. Being technically alive, as Archer is simply a servant whose vessel was a human body, makes his upkeep more so human than servant. Independent Action severed the necessity for Archer to rely on the world since Archer replenishes magical energy as a normal magi would. Also, fusing with Jiang Shi melded their souls together; An event that fused Jiang Shi's immense magic circuits and reservoir with Houyi's emanation to create a higher being known only as Archer. Forming a servant with actual magic circuits that are replenished as a regular human would replenish theirs. This soul is that of a human's and a copy of a living warrior who will eventually become heroic spirit melded into a new existence. Ultimately bringing into existence the soul of an unorthodox servant. Souls are the blueprint for one's existence and when placed in a human body, forces it to take on it's presence. Once this newly created being was replaced into Jiang Shi's body, the soul of Archer rewrote his physical self accordingly. Giving him the powers and physical abilities the Houyi possessed seconds before death and Jiang Shi's magic circuits. Allowing the pseudo-servant to perform as an actual complete servant while surviving as a normal Magi. This new existence makes Houyi's emenation an actual being rather than a ghost. It is speculated that Archer is a being no longer dependent on the grail. The fusion of Houyi's emanation with Jiang Shi's soul placed within Jiang Shi's body created life. Although the grail usually creates a vessel for servants as a method of anchoring them to normal existence, Jiang Shi becoming the vessel for Archer allowed Archer to survive as a human would while retaining his servant abilities. In other words, The vessels, classes, act as their temporary name and method of existing. Acting like a "passport to the present", the vessel prepares them for their role as a familiar in advance. Jiang Shi as a vessel gives Houyi's emanation continuous acess. As Jiang Shi is a living creature, Houyi's phantom follows. And with Archer's EX Independent Action allowing him to exist indefinitely without requiring a magical upkeep. Some have speculated that after the grail war ends, Archer will continue living on. Unfortunately, Archer is still a servant despite the uniqueness of his creation. And such, other masters are able to establish contracts with Archer. However, his Independent Action ranking allows Archer to reject masters and completely ignore their command seals when such circumstances appear. Contract Heroic Spirits are humans and divines who are removed from the time axis and stored in the Throne of Heroes. And for that reason, it is impossible to call him such due to technically being alive but stuck in his own time seconds before death. is not a proper heroic spirit. Thus making it impossible to call Archer an orthodox servant let alone an actual Pseudo-Servant. After Feng Meng's betrayal, while Houyi laid bloodied and near death, he reminisced on his life. During his final moments of mortality, Houyi used his remaining strengths to call for the World. And once it appeared, he struck a rather noble deal which resulted in him becoming a beast of Alaya; A heroic spirit who services belong to that of the World. While humans often made such agreements during life as a method of acquiring power beyond normalcy, Houyi's former divinity made it useless for him to require outside help during his time as a mortal. Unfortunately, while Houyi thought he called upon Alaya, the collective unconsciousness of mankind and drive for survival, he actually summoned Gaia who is the planet's will to survive. Gaia, who was attracted to Houyi's immense hatred for humanity and wish to eradicate those who betrayed him, decided that Houyi would prove a powerful force against Alaya. And such, Gaia formed a contract with Houyi, whose sudden defeat tormented the dying archer. From a famed divine loved by all to a hated conqueror murdered by those he cared for; Houyi earned his title a tragic hero who suffered greatly for others. However, seconds before his death, Houyi could only remember one aspect of his life; Immortality. Something he possessed then had stolen repeatedly. , the Emperor who sent him on his famed journey, stole Houyi's immortality after the archer killed Di Jun's children. Then, once Houyi managed to persuade the to give him an elixir of immortality, his wife, Chang'e, drunk both in an attempt to halt Feng Meng from stealing it from her husband. Immortality became a possession that was wrongfully stolen from Houyi multiple times and thus lead him to the tragic death beneath the moon. As a result, Houyi struck a deal which involved the dying archer obtaining the divinity he once lost and the immortality stolen from him. Even if it means damning humanity to destruction, he desires to regain his divinity, immortality and live an indifferent life towards the humans who have proven both corrupt and selfish. He also spoke of seeking revenge against the other divine spirits and mankind themselves. He plans on doing so by finishing the infamous quest given to him. After returning to his divine level, Houyi, whose mission was to stop the suns from rising, plans on completing his initial quest. Which will ultimately plunge the world into an eternal darkness and erase humanity. In short, Houyi wished for a chance to restart, actively regretting accepting the quest given to him by Di Jun. An event that would have ended mankind from an ancient beginning. Since Houyi cannot gain divinity from death at the hands of a mortal, Gaia instead froze him seconds before his ending. By freezing him and not time itself the world continued onwards while leaving Houyi behind on an eternal verge of death. Houyi will not die before he obtains his dvinity, even if it means he must leave the physical realm to accomplish said goal. One can only say that time has stopped for Houyi rather than time itself froze. Instead, it is a train that progressed further while leaving Houyi at a previous stop. And so, Houyi is given an unlimited chances to fulfill the contract created between himself and the world. Despite not being an actual Heroic Spirit from the Throne of Heroes, Houyi is capable of being summoned as one due to the future containing two set outcomes. As long as he continues to search for divinity, he will fulfill his contract as an agent of Gaia, a weapon against humanity and a Beast of Gaia empowered by the counter force. Or Houyi will simply sever the deal in defeat and become a complete heroic spirit. Either way, Houyi is given an infinite amount of chances to gain his divinity. Most notably utilizing the various Holy Grails as a method of wish granting. This event causes Houyi to be summoned throughout ages while still existing in the time axis before he left and became a Heroic Spirit. It is based off the idea that he is already considered a heroic spirit due to both outcomes ending as such. Existing in the timestream also allows Houyi to live in the current world for indefinite periods. Becoming one with Jiang Shi allowed Houyi to live as an actual individual and thus removed the necessity for both magic upkeep beyond that required by a servant and an anchor. One can only summon Houyi if there chance for divinity or immortality is present, hence his rare historical occurrences. If there is a chance of returning his divinity or Houyi gaining it through some sort of trial and tribulation, then he will exist. Houyi's appearance declares the existence of gods and divine spirits in modern time. Also, Magus are constantly discovering such methods, wishing to transcend their humanity and become gods. Allowing Houyi to freely appear in such locations as a sort of help. The Holy Grail's wishing capabilities grants Houyi permission to appear as many times as he desires as a Servant or anywhere there is a chance to obtain either a wish or restore his divinity. However, since Houyi is simply frozen within the time axis, he cannot revisit time's where he failed. Two most notable failures are when he first accepted Di Jun's request and when Chang'e consumed the Elixir's of Immortality. He can relive such experiences but they will always lead to the Emperor stripping him of his divinity and her drinking both elixirs since he cannot change already experienced outcomes. While normal servants that are summoned as copies of their true selves located outside the time axis in the Throne of Heroes, Houyi has yet to die as a mortal. And such is not classified as a proper heroic spirit. Instead, he is simply summoned in the mortal form he possessed before death. A trait which explains why his technique, that easily classifies as anti-world, is only Anti-fortress. Should Houyi regain his divinity, the technique will also return to it's original power. Allowing him to continue his purpose as an agent of Gaia. Ultimately, this existence makes him unique since normal servants are called from the Throne of Heroes while Houyi traverses the time-axis. Houyi's existence revolves around moving forward or backward in time from seconds before his death, and returning to said moment upon failure. Failure results in his memories returning to his body before he continues searching for opportunities to regain his divinity. Unlike other servants who forget previous experiencing, Houyi remembers everything from each scenario. Granting him an impressive plethora of knowledge. Should Houyi succeed, the results will lead to the possible destruction of humanity. He will remain frozen until the time where he achieves Divinity. Although his emenation is in the future, his body will simply follow after naturally. There, Gaia will unfreeze Houyi and allow the mortal to die. But upon death, the world would grant him the divinity he earned. Alaya, the collective consciousness of mankind and an enemy of Gaia, saw this threat and utilized subtle guidance to neutralize it's enemy. Alaya took control of the Counter Force and moved under coincidences. It empowered Jiang Shi's parents and subtly pushed them to locate a bow used by Houyi before sealing it into their son. It then created a series of unfortunate events, which ultimately resulted in Jiang Shi losing his parents, that lead to the young Necromancer traveling to Chengdu, China. Where he performed the ritual in order to prepare in the upcoming Holy Grail. Jiang Shi was chosen because of his ancestral trail, physical body type and also his viewpoint towards life. He also possessed enough magic circuits and potential to withstand the summoning process which Alaya interrupted. Doing so fused the Agent of Gaia and Agent of Alaya into one being with dual personalities. These two personalities are said to represent the war between mankind and the world. Trivia *Jiang Shi's name is also a pun on his magecraft as Jiangshi are hopping zombies. *Thanks a lot to Kaze for helping me with some ideas. Quotes *(Jiang Shi explaining his Art) "The stigma attatched to the practice of necromancy is counterproductive to the mission of Magus as a whole. All Magi desire to reach Akasha in hopes of transcending death and acquiring unlimited knowledge. They've journeyed far and wide to master such Magic, usually at the cost of their lives.I can count the amount of the few who've come close on one hand. Fools. The souls of all living creatures are what ties us to the root. It is where we're sent before and after life. You could say that death is the only natural gate to this metaphysical location. So why look down upon a magecraft which transforms one into a master of death? That's why I'm continuing my families study." Category:Fate/apocalyptica